Mark Maras

Thanks again. I will put that idea to bed & persue zinc coating. Oh wait, that is the same idea, just a different approach. Mark

Thanks for the update. The salt water, as I understand it, is the electrolyte in this scenario. Would anodes protect the chassis, temporarily, as long as everything was wet from salted roads, or perhaps a life at the beach? I'm sure ratio of salt to water is a consideration but if it were concentrated enough to act as an electrolyte how, far apart would the anodes have to be. Anyone? Mark

OMG! Not again. Thumbs up on finding all the parts, Curious if the inside of the valve cover shows any scars. Can,t imagine the collets coming loose unless something compressed the spring. Considering the fact that you "know" this car in the Biblical manner by now & you mentioned that it is a she, could her name be Lillith? Keep treating her with love, she will give up her tantrums & be your friend. Mark

The used Subie that I recently purchased had spots all over the glass. I first tried glass cleaner, then lacquer thinner,my next attempt was going to be abrasive, then I remembered the clay bar, it worked better than I imagined. My dad used to use Colgate tooth powder to remove scratches. Something he learned in WWII. It worked exceptionally well. Mark

Goosebumps from that one.

I don't know the answer but I'm curious how much movement you have, any movement in the u-joints or a very high speed vibration at 85 mph or above? Mark

327 with fuel injection heads, with an automatic?. OMG where would you start. IMO this one will never see the road again.

Gotta love creativity. He must be a relative of Red Green or a member of the Possum Lodge.

Has anyone tried Versimold for tail-light gaskets or bumper covers? It looks like it would be a great alternative for the rubber parts that can "nickel & dime" your budget. Mark

Having installed a 73 radio into my 71 years ago, The face plate will have to be changed to a 73 also. Sorry, I don't know if it was an early or late 73. As I recall it was a straight forward swap. No wiring issues. But as I sit here & remember, I should have had issues with the antenna switch, I think, by the time I swapped radios, the original antenna had been vandalized twice & I replaced it with one that had a spring at the base, eliminating the switch by the radio. Mark

My dad used a spray bottle with water in it to check plug wires. Start the engine, turn out the lights,& mist the wires. If they are bad, kick back & enjoy the light show. Much better than getting shocked & banging your head on the hood, Mark

The fuel pressure to the SUs should be 3-3 1/2 psi. No more than 4, Mark

You'll need to tell us how light you want to go. Myself I've always wanted to have a stripped Z for the street but loving to drive a Z year round, a heater is a must & the list goes on. I'm torn between fun & creature comforts. You'll have to consider what you want to keep depending on your wants & needs. Mark

Nice score with all the goodies. If this Z is as "rust free" as it looks from the pics, it has spent it's life in a well protected home & you've found a rare one. Everything you've heard about the liquid sunshine in the Northwest is true. I doubt some areas in a Z ever totally dry out even in late summer, Congratulations, keep it dry & enjoy. Mark

I'd go with an L24. Bolt it up & drive it. No screwing around modifying this & that to get it to run. Being in college, you'll need a reliable car that won't take up your time & money. Mark

I agree, a good used engine is not that hard to find, Pull the valve cover, spark plugs and give it a compression test. You might even find a club member that has a spare. Mark

I've used water activated fiberglass mat, avail. in the plumbing section of Home Depot, to temporarily repair an old leaking hot water pipe in my house. It is made for leaking pipes & marine applications. It held up to the heat & pressure just fine. Might be one of those repair items to tuck into a tool bag too. Mark

Mine was a project with "a little" rust. Now I understand that the PO meant the HOLES in the floorboards, fender well & hatch sill-plate had "little" rust. Welcome to the club. Most of us have experienced or are experiencing this same challenge. It's part of owning a Z.

What a beautiful Z. So nice to see a Series 1 (or any Z for that matter) with no rust. Thanks for sharing the pics. Mark

(I will never buy a partially restored car again)! I feel your pain. My 260 project had 2 previous owners. Neither owner got it on the road, although they did a lot to it, all of the previous improvements I've found so far have been done half-assed. By far the most aggravating is chasing fasteners. It takes so much time. Countless hours & miles to find minor items. Too bad someone doesn't offer a complete fastener kit for these cars. No matter the price it would be worth it.

It's possible there is a short circuit somewhere in the system if it's not reversed polarity during the install. Which wire was glowing & what caught fire. Before hooking up the battery, I would pull all the fuses, turn all switches off. & check the spark at the battery with a quick tap of the cable on the post. Everything OK? Then proceed to plug fuses in one at a time & recheck the spark at the battery. Keep in mind all these spark tests are shade tree mechanics at best. A multi-meter is still the best way to attack this problem. Also look carefully at the fuse block and connecting wires for heat damage.

Or Boring, Oregon if you're not.

The bumper will come later, maybe. This is a case of "as long as i'm in here". Any cracks in the FG or bondo over time? This spot on the body seems like it is one of the few areas that don't have much flex in it. Any idea what the hole in the rear valance is for? Mark

I'm doing the bodywork on my 260, finally got around to the rear. The lower valance panel has a factory hole on the left side, directly below the reverse light, app. 5" x 1 1/2" I'm curious what is the function of this hole? My 240 has no hole & in the dim recesses of my memory, it seems as if 280s had more than one. Also, I want to clean up the area behind the bumper & put 240 bumpers on it eventually, What is the best method of filling the recessed area, behind the bumper, that is dotted with welds & holes. Seal it up & weld a piece over it or fill it with a fiberglass product. I'm thinking layers of mat and cloth or stranded jelly. I'm open to any suggestions. Thanks Mark

IMO the answer is lighter wt. oil, The clutch adjustment should be checked, but I doubt that is the problem because the problem goes away when the oil heats up & thins out. I'm not knowledgable about oil but if the synthetics are thinner, I think you'll feel the difference. Mark